Malaria compounded by drug shortage

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]A three year old girl, Saranya Ravi, died today at Jaffna hospital of malaria, due to the lack of drugs. She was first admitted to Chavakachcheri hospital three days ago with a high fever, and then she was from there to Jaffna.

Malaria reached almost epidemic proportions in the Vanni region last month with continuous rains lashing northern Sri Lanka and a lack of medicines and the scarcity of medical personnel and treatment facilities.

The Sri Lanka Army is sais to be restricting the supply of medicines to the north.

Refugees arriving in from the Vanni and poor sanitation facilities in the Thenmaradchi sector of Jaffna have contributed to the high incidence of malaria in this part of the peninsula.